Sparkarific
by theicemenace
Summary: John and Elizabeth go on their first date.
1. Blackmail

**A/N:** This is a birthday gift for my friend, Shadows-of-Realm. Thanks for your Beta assistance, brainstorming sessions and most of all your friendship.

Timeframe is before _Submersion_.

Sandy

**Spark-a-rific**

**Blackmail**

Rodney and John were in the armory preparing for the mission to a submerged power plant. Rodney had purposely taken his time gearing up so he could talk to his friend alone. "John, can we talk?"

John zipped his TAC vest glancing at him with a puzzled frown. "What about?"

"Something I read…"

The Colonel huffed. "You read all the time. Why…"

"…when I was a super-evolved human." Rodney saw that he had John's full attention now, his eyes dancing with humor. "I _know_."

John didn't know why, but the tone of those two words unnerved him. "_What_ do you know?"

A slight smirk crossed Rodney's face as he shoved extra ammo into his vest pockets and closed the Velcro flaps. "About you and Elizabeth. Now I can choose to keep the information to myself…"

"Or…?"

"_Or_ I can make use of what I learned while tiptoeing through your thoughts, dreams, hopes…and desires. As they relate to Elizabeth, of course."

Crossing his arms, John gave Rodney a mild form of his death glare, keeping some in reserve in case he needed it later. "And what makes you think I would give in to your demands?"

Rodney turned away from his friend, shrugged into his backpack and picked up his tablet. "Because I read _her_ mind, too." He didn't have to be able to read minds or see John's face to know he was upset. He could _feel_ it.

"_How_ could you invade her _privacy_ like that, McKay?" He wasn't just angry. He was _furious_.

"I didn't _do_ it on _purpose_. It was just _there_. Most of my mind was focused on repairing the power grid, but your thoughts about each other were so strong, I couldn't block them."

Rodney's confession that he hadn't done it intentionally somewhat appeased John. "So, what _was_ she thinking?"

They left the armory and headed for the Jumper Bay. Rodney shook his finger at John. "That would be _way_ too easy. However, I will give you one piece of advice. Actually, let's call it an arrangement between two people in which one person agrees not to divulge certain information in exchange for…"

"That's _blackmail_."

Rodney grinned at him. "Yes. Yes, it is." He felt and heard John surrendering. It was in the long draw out sigh that ended on a groan.

"Okay. What do you want? And don't get too crazy with it or you'll spend the rest of your neurotic and paranoid life watching your back."

Just as they reached the Jumper Bay, Rodney leaned close and said, "Take her on a date."

Taken aback by his friend's words, John could only stare at him in bafflement. _That's __it__? Nooo problem._ "Done."

"Not a meal shared in the Mess Hall. A _real_ date. Something romantic, just the two of you, alone, away from Atlantis."

"But…" John wanted to give his friend a resounding _yes!_ however, his main concern was the friendship he and Elizabeth shared. "What if it turns out bad? Neither one of us has a great track record when it comes to relationships."

"Schrodinger's cat." At John's blank look, he explained. "You'll never know how it will turn out if you don't _try_."

"You're right." The Colonel tugged at his ear. "Um, just so I'm completely clear…"

"Yeah?"

"Exactly how far does this…do we have to…" John paused, not wanting to be crass, insensitive, vulgar, "…you know, um…to fulfill this _agreement_?"

Rodney snorted at his friend's discomfort. "I'll leave _that_ detail to you. And I do _not_ want to know." John still had a dazed look on his face. "You have one week. And remember this. That wasn't _all_ I read while I was in there."

**TBC**


	2. Poseidon Adventures

**A/N:** This is part two of the birthday gift for my friend Shadows-of-Realm. Thanks for your Beta assistance, brainstorming sessions and most of all your friendship.

Timeframe is during _Submersion_. Some of the dialogue came from GateWorld.

Sandy

**Spark-a-rific**

**Poseidon Adventures**

"We have a lot of exploring to do." Elizabeth told her companions.

"We?"

"Until Rodney delivers the preliminary status report, I'm all yours. Put me to work, Colonel."

"Alright, let's make up some time. Break into teams. Ronon, you're with Teyla. Elizabeth, you're with me or I'm with you, however you wanna put it."

* * *

"…Hopefully not as bad as that guy in _The Abyss_." John and Elizabeth were searching a long dark hallway, Elizabeth making notations on a PDA.

They got quiet for a while, checking out the walls, floors and ceilings, which pretty much looked the same all over the station. The silence forced John to think about the ultimatum Rodney had issued before they left on this mission. What he didn't understand was why it was so important for him to ask Elizabeth on a date _now_. Not that he hadn't thought about it more than a few times, but she was his boss, sort of, and his friend. If it didn't go well, they still had to work together. Things could get sticky.

John rolled his eyes at himself when his mind filled with the image of his companion all covered in whipped cream and giving him a sensual smile. Parts of him really enjoyed the pictures in his head and were doing their best to encourage him to follow through. _Might as well do it now while we're alone_. "Um, Elizabeth…" At that moment, the lights went out. John turned on the light attached to his P-90 and tapped his headset. "Rodney, what's going on? We just lost the lights."

* * *

Hours later they'd defeated the Wraith Queen, Ronon was snoring and Teyla had turned on her side facing the wall, her shallow breathing a steady rhythm indicating she was asleep as well.

With help on the way, John could once again think about his date with Elizabeth. Assuming she said yes, what sort of date should it be? Picnic in the arboretum or on the pier? Dinner for two in one of the private dining rooms or even his quarters? A day trip to the mainland? At least then they'd be alone, far from prying eyes.

He got to his feet and quietly exited the crew quarters. Outside, he tapped his headset. "Sheppard to Weir."

"_Go ahead, John._"

"What's your twenty?"

"_Auxiliary lab, sublevel six East._"

Glancing around to get his bearings, John headed for the stairwell at the end of the corridor. "Anyone with you?"

"_I'm all alone. Why?_"

"No reason." The stairwell door opened when he passed his hand over the sensor. "I'm en route to your location. ETA less than five. Sheppard out."

"_Okay. Weir out._"

* * *

Elizabeth looked up when she heard footsteps in the corridor outside where she was working. Their recent adventures made her just a little jumpy, her right hand automatically reaching for the Glock that John had insisted she carry. When she saw it was him, she relaxed and returned to her work.

"Hey."

She watched him from the corner of her eye with a frown. He seemed nervous. "Thought you were going to get some rest."

John crossed his arms, leaning casually on the wall in front of Elizabeth. "Couldn't sleep. Ronon snores like a pneumatic drill."

Nodding, she kept working and waiting for him to tell her why he was here but he stayed silent. "You didn't come all the way down here just to get away from Ronon."

He pushed off the wall, one hand rubbing his hair uneasily. "No, I didn't. I was thinking, and this is just of the top of my head, you understand."

"Of course."

"You and I should have dinner together."

Elizabeth smiled. "We have dinner together all the time, John."

Taking a deep breath, he moved over to stand next to her just on the edge of her comfort zone, a little more confident. "I mean a date. We should go on a date."

"A _date_ date?"

"Yeah."

She kept her eyes on her tablet though she was no longer working. "I, uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea, John."

"Why not? I like you, you like me." John was just a little tense when she didn't answer right away though he didn't let it show. "You _do_ like me, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do. It's just…my last date didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped." She looked up at him, her eyes sad. "It was the day Carson…"

"Oh. Sorry." Her eyes followed him as he moved to her side. "That won't happen on _our_ date. Promise."

"But…"

John gave her his most charming smile. "Please? It's never pretty when I have to beg."

Elizabeth let her eyes roam over his face and wanted to believe that things would be different. Her date with Mike Brandon had gone well and he'd asked her out again but they'd never gotten around to it before he was offered a position at a private research facility. She remembered waving good-bye as he stepped into the wormhole and was whisked back to Earth.

And she still thought about Simon now and then and how it had ended for them, not certain she wanted to take the risk. Opening her mouth to say no, she surprised herself _and_ John when she said, "I'd love to have dinner with you."

**TBC**


	3. You are the Waves, I am the Ocean

**A/N:** This is part three of the birthday gift for my friend Shadows-of-Realm. Thanks for your Beta assistance, brainstorming sessions and most of all your friendship. I know it's early but what the heck.

Timeframe is after _Submersion_.

Sandy

**Spark-a-rific**

**You are the Waves, I am the Ocean**

Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror over the dresser in her room brushing her hair. She laid the brush aside and tugged at the hem of her burgundy scooped neck blouse. It was plain but the color suited her. Turning away, she slipped into a pair of white flats that were stylish as well as comfortable, just in case there was walking involved. John hadn't told her what they would be doing but had hinted that it would "fun" and told her to dress casual. She only hoped his idea of fun didn't differ too greatly from hers or this would be their _only_ date.

The chime sounded and the door opened on John dressed in civilian clothing. His baggy shorts were black as was the T-shirt he wore untucked. He gave her a quick onceover. "You look great."

"As do you." Elizabeth stepped out into the hall to allow the door to close. "So, ready to tell me where we're going?"

"Well, when I thought about what we should do on our first date, I figured we might want avoid the inevitable gossip and go somewhere secluded."

"Good luck with that." They both made rueful grins. "So…"

"So…" he led her into a transporter and tapped the screen. A moment later they were on the Operations level and climbing the stairs to the Jumper Bay. "…we're leaving the city and going to a planet I found in the Ancient database."

The idea concerned Elizabeth because of past experiences with unexplored planets. "John…"

"It's _safe_. I sent Lorne's team to check it out. There's a beach but no sea monsters, trees but no large human-eating animals roaming around and caves but no fire-breathing dragons. Besides, we're not going far from the Stargate in case we need an escape route. It'll just be you, me, the beach and a picnic basket. Whaddya say?"

"As long as Yogi Bear is three million light years away I say let's go."

* * *

John and Elizabeth stood on the pristine shore of a beach that had never been touched by human feet. The weather was perfect, sunny, just a very light breeze, the waves lightly lapping at the sand. Birds that resembled seagulls, pelicans and cormorants flew over, dipping and turning on the breeze. Unlike their Earth counterparts, they ignored the humans.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the tangy salt air. When she looked up again, John was watching her, his eyes unreadable. "What?"

"Nothing." He set the picnic basket down and took out the blanket he'd confiscated from the Jumper. Together they spread it on the ground. While John set out the food, Elizabeth opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

John lifted his and waited for Elizabeth to do the same. "_A votre santé_."

Her eyes widened just a little in surprise. "_Je vous remercie, mon bon monsieur_." They each took a drink then she set her glass aside for the moment. "I didn't know you spoke French, John."

He shrugged as if it meant less than nothing. "I also speak a little Farsi. Left over from my time in Afghanistan."

"_Y__ek zabân kâfi nist_."

Her words made John smile. "You, Daniel Jackson and McKay prove that every day." He handed her a plate and picked up his own. "So, what should we talk about?"

Elizabeth's eyes looked at him then away from his intense gaze, not sure where she wanted this to go. "Anything but work."

"Perfect. So, Liz…" he smiled again when she laughed at his spontaneous use of her childhood nickname, "…do you like to surf?"

* * *

Hours later, they were walking barefoot along the edge of the water, their shoes left back at the blanket. The sun was just touching the distant horizon and throwing a rainbow of colors at them.

Elizabeth again sensed John watching her and watched him in turn, the breeze lifting the hair away from her face.

"You know, this is the most relaxed I've seen you since we've been in Atlantis."

She looked down then back to his face. "It's not easy being responsible for the lives of so many people so far from the planet of our birth."

"True. But I thought we weren't gonna talk about work."

Her lips tilted up in a mischievous grin. "You started it."

John had been standing with his hands at his sides just watching her. His right hand came up and, almost as if he had no control, it reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. Letting his fingers linger on the side of her neck, he felt her shiver, just a tiny movement, but there nonetheless. When she didn't pull away, he slid his fingers into her hair and leaned slowly toward her, giving her the option of stepping back. She didn't and he took that as a sign to continue. There was a breathless moment of anticipation and then their lips were touching. Softly, just a gentle meeting of mouths.

He almost yelped in surprise when she gripped his shoulders and tilted her head in order to deepen the kiss. Quick as lightening, his hands settled on her waist pulling her close as her hands skimmed across his shoulders and into his hair.

The wind suddenly picked up, turned colder. They separated when clouds covered the sun's rays. The temperature began dropping quickly, chilling their skin.

John took Elizabeth by the hand and hurried back to their picnic area. They gathered up their things, tossing them into the middle of the blanket and returned to the Jumper just as lightening flashed through the skies and rain came thundering down.

* * *

Standing inside the hatch, John looked out at the sudden rainstorm. The occasional gust of wind blew sprays of water into the back of the Jumper. "Probably shoulda checked the weather report before we left."

Elizabeth nudged his shoulder with hers. "It's an unexplored planet, John. You couldn't have known."

His hand hit the control and the hatch closed. Behind him, she was repacking the picnic items that had been thrown haphazardly back into the container. He knelt down beside her to help and the next thing he knew they were locked in a passionate kiss that was deeper and more intimate than anything either had experienced in quite some time.

An arm around her waist, John lowered her down to the blanket that was still spread on the floor. He followed her down, resting the upper half of his body against hers. Elizabeth's hands came up to hold his head still while their tongues danced.

* * *

Rodney entered the Mess Hall and headed for the team's usual table. John was sitting alone using his PDA and sipping from a cup of coffee, the remains of breakfast pushed off to the side.

The physicist slid into a seat across from him. "So how did it go?"

"How did what go?" John's attention appeared to be on the screen but he'd watched his friend's trek across the room, knowing what was coming.

"Your date with Elizabeth."

"Oh, that." John pushed back from the table, pocketed his PDA and finished his coffee. "She turned me down. "

"Really?" Rodney's exclamation was equal parts shock and disbelief.

"And you didn't make any provisions in your blackmail for her saying no so I expect you to keep your end of the bargain and never bring it up again."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem," the physicist said distractedly. "But I could have sworn…"

"Guess you read it wrong." He slapped Rodney on the back. "Gotta go."

As John made his way across the room, Elizabeth entered with a tablet tucked in the crook of one arm. They spoke quietly for a few moments then Elizabeth made her way through the food line. Rodney watched her walk to a table in the back. She activated her tablet, took a bite from a cheese Danish and a sip of coffee but he wasn't able to read her expression at this distance. From the short exchange he'd witnessed, nothing seemed to have changed between them. _He must be telling the truth. And so ends an ignoble career of Rodney McKay, Matchmaker._

Rodney powered up his own tablet and descended into the world of physics where things sense.

**The End**

"_I am you; you are ME. You are the waves; I am the ocean. Know this and be free, be divine_."

~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~


End file.
